Will the real Timo Soini and the PS please stand up?

Perussuomalaiset chairperson Timo Soini’s decision to sit it out in the opposition should be seen as a hard blow and a failure of the party to cash in on its election gains in April.

How is it possible that a party like the PS, which rose from relative obscurity to become the third-largest party on its strong anti-EU stance has decided to sit it out in the opposition? The answer to that question is as inscrutable as Soini and the PS.

Never in the history of Finland has a party that won so many seats in an election ended up in the opposition.

Sensible Finns understand that our economic and social well-being hinges on the EU. If the EU and euro fail so does Finland. Europe’s problems are Finland’s.

Giving Finnish voters a picture that this country can survive on its own as an isolated island from the rest of the world and live off nationalist rhetoric is reckless. Some call it populism.

As we have mentioned on this blog on a number of occasions, there is nothing wrong speaking out for people who are socially excluded. But to add to that message xenophobia and suspicion of the outside world, immigrants and refugees destroys all credibility of such a noble message.

The Mr.-Hyde-and-Dr.-Jeckyll style of politicking by the PS shows that it isn’t a serious party. It turns into and acts like a Mr. Hyde with minorities and is a Dr. Jekyll with Finnish voters.

In the 1960s and 1970s there was a popular US TV show called “To tell the truth.” Three persons appeared on the show with the same name. A panel had to figure out who was the correct person.

Soini’s odd political bedfellows beg for the same answer as in the popular TV show: Will the real Timo Soini and PS please stand up?

Now as Katainen has decided his “dream team” without consulting the SDP, this brings up a few interesting options. RKP is in no matter what and Katainen coldsholdered Arhinmäki. The question is will the Greens and KD fit in as they have totally polarized agendas. And how much SDP has to sell out. Now if the Greens or KD will not play then Katainen is up the creek.

If Katainen would drop the paddle to Urpilainen Finland would go deaf from the sound of coats turning. But the option of then a pure “redneck” government is not any more easier to form unless Kepu came along.

Historical indeed, the era of lying to your voters has come to an end.

“Giving Finnish voters a picture that this country can survive on its own as an isolated island from the rest of the world and live off nationalist rhetoric is not only reckless but irresponsible.”

PS has said it is in favour of European co-operation, just on a different scale. Suggesting that PS has said that “this country can survive on its own as an isolated island from the rest of the world” is just a convinient lie. If I were writing a blog, I’d prefer to sticking to the facts available.

Be the largest party in opposition could be a master stroke for PS.
It gives the new members of parliament the time to gain experience on how the political system works, without the pressure of being a party in government. But as the numbers of seats separating the largest three parties was only a handful , Kokomus may need the support of PS to pass one of its polices if SDP are not giving support in numbers, and this is also vice versa for the SDP. So PS will be asking the question “if we are going to support you on this issue , then we want your support us on this issue”.

Hi David thank you for visiting Migrant Tales. The opposition is a good place to grow. You must remember that the PS got protest votes. The question is if you can rely on such votes being faithful to you in the next election. Maybe yes if the PS were a normal party. The future isn’t that clear as one may think. What do you think?

Thats why spending the the electoral term in opposition could be the best thing for the party they can spend their term showing why PS should be the first choice and not a protest vote. Over the next electoral term I would be in doubt to see more bailouts and more government pandering to the EU which can only can help the party in the next election .Being in the big time and being in government all at the same time would have I think too much for PS to cope with. But being a opposition party with such a huge vote does put you in a different league to other opposition parties which Finland has seen.PS being in opposition is seen as a failure for them, but if you see where they where in the previous election and if the current political climate continues where they could be in the next election this is not a failure but progress. There was a phrase used in the election “When in Rome” there is also another one PS could use “Rome was not built in a day”

You may be right David but you have to remember that the PS won’t get 30% never mind over 50% of the vote. The great majority of the Finns continue to vote for the traditional parties. For the PS to end up in the opposition by its own making was a fumble. Basing your own campaign on anti-EU sentiment is too narrow. To succeed in politics you need flexibility, which the PS lacks.

The “Portugal bailout” is just a tip of the iceberg, the economies of the countries are not in any way on a stable basis. And they have done nothing to curb spending, whats it now Greece is building a F1 track? The Germans are making noise the whole scenario is against the directives and are not happy their parliament has no say in the issue. Finland saying yea or nay is pretty much insignificant in the whole scenario – Katainen just wants to be an EU-posterboy and make himself and his cronies some lucrative EU-positions available. If Soini had gotten his way that would also not had any effect on what happens with Greece, Ireland, Portugal and the rest. The eurozone is turds in a toilet that has been flushed and the whirlpool is there. The only difference is Katainen wants to jump in with the big turds in the middle and hope the chute gets clogged while Soini wanted to try and be a nasty floater. In the end the euro is still in deep shit as the control systems did not work.

That was why kesk under the leadership of Mari Kiviniemi got slaughtered by the voters. She was a puppet to the EU and did what she was told. The True Finns on their own could never have changed the EU but what it could have done was question the EU and hindered them and not roll over when they where told. Mari Kiviniemi and kesk are now not only in opposition but under a party which benefited from her lack of courage

Basing your own campaign on anti-EU sentiment is too narrow. To succeed in politics you need flexibility, which the PS lacks.

They have a electoral term to find that flexibility. With the vote percentage they gained the other two parties will have to seek their help in support, and thats when PS will understand give and take . But if PS can hold the balance of power on certain issues they may gain more that way than being a part of government. Being the largest party in opposition with 19.0 % of the vote and not sharing the same bed as the other parties as what we used to have (Its your turn now to lead and then its mine) is no way a failure

If the PS and the Left are left in the opposition will be able to either effect as a strong opposition or then bark loudly as they share quite a lot of the same economical stands, as does the KD. Keskusta played its cards becoming a “city” party and forgetting its “hickbase” the PS have been preying on. Now the rainbow coalition is all “city” as well, the Greens will get slaughtered with their compromises and SDP with being a lapdog, the “winner” is the Coalition. Thats is why SDP wants the Left to the government to be able to counterbalance. KD and SFP are there for the ride. If they go ahead as Katainen plans the Greens with their “universal marriage” and KD with their conservative stance are going to be fun to watch.

If the Greens or KD SFP join the collation then he has to give them positions in areas which where not a issue in the election. keep the EU and Immigration cabinet positions for his party so he can take the glory as his party are in positions to deal with voter concerns . And throw issues which where low on voters concerns to other minor parties. Keep the voter concerns to the right and the others to the left.

I suggest you look up naturalisation in a dictionary before you respond.

The top billed domestic news item in yesterday’s Hesari (page A 5) was headlined Sinipuna on hallituksen runko with a big picture of Katainen and Urpilainen arriving together at a press conference to announce their deal.

This is basic terminology. An immigrant is a person with a certain history of migration. A foreigner (or alien) is a person who is not a citizen (i.e. this is a legal status). These are fundamentally different categories.

A naturalised immigrant is an immigrant who has become a citizen. A naturalised immigrant is still an immigrant, but no longer a foreigner. Some immigrants are already Finnish citizens when they arrive in Finland (these are Finnish citizens born abroad) and some foreigners in Finland are not immigrants (the foreigners who were born in Finland and are often loosely called “second-generation immigrants”).

Now look at what you said:

show me where it says an immigrant can vote in parliamentary elections? A citizen is not an immigrant, even hes naturanl or unnatural.

“Is a naturalised immigrant still an immigrant?”
Well they are not an ulkomaalainen any more are they?

You seek to avoid the charge of racism by saying that you are “immigration-critical”, yet you have not even mastered the most basic terminology of the immigration debate and you are confused about its most fundamental categories.

The most that can be inferred from the commentary that you quoted is that some SDP members were not aware of the deal that Katainen and Urpilainen reached on Wednesday. What you said was this:

Katainen has decided his “dream team” without consulting the SDP

What did you mean by “without consulting” that is consistent with the press conference given jointly by Katainen and Urpilainen in Parliament House on Wednesday evening?

The most that can be inferred from the commentary that you quoted is that some SDP members were not aware of the deal that Katainen and Urpilainen reached on Wednesday.

What did you mean by “without consulting” that is consistent with the press conference given jointly by Katainen and Urpilainen in Parliament House on Wednesday evening?

I meant exactly what I wrote and everything is quite consistent. If you are not able to differentiate between “agreeing on EU-Portugal-bailout deal” and “agreeing on which other parties will form the cabinet” it is not my problem. Unlike you I can also understand what I read.